The use of supercritical fluid extraction for sample preparation of pharmaceutical formulations

This paper reviews the use of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) as a sample work-up step in the analysis of drugs in various pharmaceutical formulations. Matrices studies include tablets, animal feed, creams, ointments and infusions. As in other fields of analytical chemistry, SFE has proven to be most suitable for comparatively non-polar compounds in solid matrices. Examples are given however where SFE can also be used, with success, for polar substances or for target compounds present in infusions or other water-based samples. The premise of inverse SFE, i.e. extraction of the matrix instead of the target compound, is discussed.